Portable oil can



Ju1 6,1937. FZRGEYSER 2,086,219

PORTABLE OIL CAN Filed Sept. 7, 1935 Fig.1

Q 1 VENTOR 3 2 :75: $2;

I BY 6 ORNEY.

Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE 14 Claims.

My invention relates to containers for oils and the like, having large coefiicient of expansion, and especially to portable dispensing cans for highly inflammable liquids, such as kerosene and gasoline, which are provided with filling and discharge ports located at the top of the can and provided with closures in the form of valves or caps, and from which the oil is dispensed through the discharge port by tilting the can.

discharge and vent ports and closures therefor have been employed, but in all such forms the object primarily has been to provide either a manual or automatic closure for the ports, but no satisfactory combination of can body, filling, discharge and vent ports has been proposed in which provision is made. to insure correct filling and preventing overflow at the discharge port due to internal air or gas pressure or expansion of the oil causing the oil to back up and overflow from the discharge port or fill opening.

I have observed that in filling oil cans provided with the ordinary filling ports cans are haphazardly filled completely, or nearly so, and under expansion due to increase in temperature the liquid level rises and liquid issues fromthe discharge ports and fill openings, particularly when the latter are not absolutely tight or when closed by spring action.

This is not only objectionable but dangerous inasmuch as the oil is spread on floors incurring unnecessary waste and liability of fires. If the cap for the filling port is not entirely or tightly closed and the can is tilted into discharging position liquid will discharge from the vent valve as soon as it opens due to the fact that the fill opening which is at a higher level than the vent valve-when the can is in discharg- 50 I provide a filling port having a tubular extension which projects into the container, preferably from the top, to the predetermined lineof maximum fill for the quantity of liquid for which the container is designed, whereby, when the liquid In dispensing cans various forms of filling, I

ing position permits air to enter through the leak rises to that line, the inner end of the filling port tube will be liquid sealed, and thereby effecting a closed air or expansion space or chamber at the top of the can proportionate to the quantity of liquid therein and allowance for maxi 5 mum expansion. This will also prevent fillin above that line and cause the liquid to rise in the filling port tube and give indication that the container is charged with the required quantityI This filling tube may be provided with a small 10 vent hole as an additional safeguard to meet conditions arising from poor fitting fill caps. This vent allows air to escape very slowly, but not sufiiciently to prevent obtaining the conipression at the top of the container above the 15 li-nerof fill to prevent overfilling, and this vent when the filling port is closed will permit balancing of the pressure at the container top and in the fill tube thereby preventing leak at the filling port closure. I also employ other novel features of construction which are hereinafter referred to in connection with the drawing.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which, Figure 1 is an elevation and partial sectional view of I the upper partof a manually operated can for kerosene or other liquids embodying one form of my invention; and Figure 2 a vertical sectional view of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawing,'l indicates the can body and 2 the bottom having a flange 3 of sufficient depth to be spun over with the edge of body I to provide a tight joint and a raised bottom so that the can rests on the spun joint and not directly on the bottom 2. The top 4 of the can is arched and provided with handle 5 for carrying and to aid in tilting the can for. dispensing; the can being held by handle'5 and flange 3 when dispensing. In the form shown in Figure l, the discharge spout and filling port are combined, and comprise a tubular memher 6 which projects into the can, a screW-thread- 1 ed tubular part 1 projecting above the can top; a cap member 8, valve body 9 and spout It]. At the opposite side of the can top a breather valve H is'inserted 'in any suitable manner, and as shown consists of a spring pressed ball check valve of any well known type. In the form shown in Figure 2 the discharge and} filling ports are separated, but the breather valve is combined with the discharge valve, the general construction of the discharge valve being the same as in Figure 1.

In Figure 1 the discharge valve body 8 and spout ID are cast in one piece and provid d, t

an internal screw thread into which is screwed a valve seat I2. This valve seat has a flange I3 by which the valve body is clamped to the fiange [4 of cap 8, and between flanges I3 and M a suitable gasket i5 is provided to seal the joint. The outer diameter of the valve body immediately adjacent the flange I l of cap 8 is reduced to receive a loose fitting ring it and when the valve body is clamped in position on cap 8 the ring will be free to turn relative to the valve body when the cap and valve are screwed onto tube 1. The ring is attached to a chain ll which is attached to handle 5. On the interior of the valve body is a cylindrical extension l8 bored to receive, and to serve as a bearing and guide for, the valve stem I9 of Valve 20 which is held upon seat l2 by coiled spring 2| sleeved on bearing l8. Valve 20 is opened by lever 22 which is fulcrumed on lug 23 projecting upward from the valve body. The work end of the lever 22 is forked to straddle valve stem l9 and engages collar 24 pinned on the end of the valve stem. The location and shape of the discharge valve, its position on tube 1, and the length and angle of projection of lever 22 are all arranged, as will be seen by reference to the drawing, to enable the user, when lifting the can with one hand by means of handle 5 and grasping rim 3 with the other hand to tilt the can for dispensing liquid therefrom, to readily operate the valve lever with the index finger of the hand gripping handle 5 and readily control the discharge from spout l0. Also, it will be observed by reference to the drawing, that the relative locaare such that if the can should tip or rest on its top, the valve lever will not be contacted and the 'valve opened accidentally.

In the preferred form of can, the top 4 is arched, and the seam line 25 indicates the line of fill for the predetermined quantity of liquid for which the can is designed, leaving a predetermined air space at the dome of the can. The filling tube 8 extends to the line of fill, and when used with the arched top, I prefer to project itat an angle to the vertical axis of the can or perpendicular to the top to avoid projection of the tube above the top more than required for the threaded end for the closing cap. With such arrangement the inner end of the tube 6, if cut straight as in Figure 1, will lie in a plane at an angle to the line of fill, but with a small sector of the rim of the tube on the line of fill, while in the other form shown in Figure 21, the inner end of the tube is cut at an angle so that its entire rim will lie wholly in the plane of the line of fill. In the one case with the correct length of tube no adjustment of the tube is required to set its inner end at the fill line, while in the other form the tube must be set correctly in the can top to align the tube end with the fill line. In both forms, however, the object is to seal the entrance to the tube with the liquid when it reaches the line of fill. When this occurs the air is trapped in the space under the dome and the air compression will cause the liquid to rise in tube 9 and indicate that the can is filled to the proper height. When the flow from the filling nozzle is shut off the small amount of liquid in the tube will slowly fall as the liquid levels off in the can.

In the arrangement of filling tube cap and valve shown in Figure I, this action at the filling tube is caused by one or more very small vent holes 26 near the underside of the can top to permit the air to escape very slowly from the space under the can dome into the filling tube and thus balance the pressure and allow the liquid to find its level promptly. The hole or holes 26 should be of such area as to permit only a very slight and slow escape of air when filling the can so that the air compression will be suiiicient to cause the liquid to rise in tube 6 when it reaches the line of fill, otherwise the liquid would fill the space close to the top of the can, thus overfilling and leaving insufficient space for expansion.

In Figure 2 the filling and discharge ports are separated. In this arrangement, 6 indicates the filling tube projecting to the line of fill 25, and the tube projects above the can top where it is screwthreaded to receive closing cap 8. If desired, cap 8 in this form may be provided with a chain I! as in Figure 1. The functioning of the filling tube is the same as in Figure 1, but the provision of vent holes 26 is not necessary to insure balancing of pressure as in Figure 1, for the purpose stated. However, the provision of the small vent holes in the filling tube 6 of Figure 2 will prevent leakage through a poor fitting cap 8, because the vents will permit balancing of pressure and hence the pressure that would otherwise exist under the dome will have no tendency to force liquid upward in tube 6.

The discharge valve shown in Figure 2 is similar to the valve shown in Figure 1, except that it is mounted directly upon the dome of the can and that a manually operated breather valve is comined therewith, and in this form the valve is not removed when filling the can, and therefore the guard ring l6 and chain H are dispensed with.

The manually operated breather valve may be a separate valve body or combined in one structure or casting as shown in Figure 2, but I prefer to combine them in one casting to maintain them in fixed relative position. The object of the combination breather and discharge valve is that when the discharge valve is opened for the discharge of liquid, the breather valve will be opened manually in timed relation to the liquid discharge. In the form shown in Figure 2 the breather valve body 21 is cast in the same piece with body 9 of the discharge valve and screw-threaded to receive the bonnet 28 which has an extended head bored to serve as a guide and bearing for valve stem 29. The bonnet is ground to form a seat for valve 30 and stem 29 projects below the valve. A coiled spring 3| is sleeved on the inner end of the valve stem and seated between the valve and bottom of the valve chamber. The bottom of body 21 is bored to receive vent tube 32, and bonnet 28 is provided with vent holes 33 through which air enters when valve 30 is opened. Vent tube 32 extends laterally under dome 4 at a slight downward angle and terminates near the opposite side of the can with its end preferably close to the dome. Valve stem 29 projects into the path of movement of lever 22 and from the position and relative location of the discharge and breather valves and the pressure end of lever 22 it will be seen that when liquid is to be discharged by opening valve 20 the breather valve will be operated in timed relation by the same stroke of lever 22 after valve 20 starts to open. The relative opening or timing of the twovalves may be varied by changing the angle of lever 22. By this arrangement the breather valve will always be certain of operation upon the discharge of liquid from spout l0 and will not be dependent upon suction or external air pressure, or spring pressure, as in the type of breather valve shown at II in Figure 1. The main purpose of this arrange-v ment is to provide an efiective manually operated breather valve which permits of placing the same close to the discharge valve and retain the advantages of the static height of liquid pressure for discharging, inasmuch as the air entering the breather valve will be delivered to the top of the liquid surface when the can is in the tilted pouring position. This arrangement also prevents discharge of liquid through the breather valve in case the fill cap 8 is not screwed on tight or has a poor fit on the screw-thread.

The operating lever 22 for the discharge and breather valves shown in Figure 2 is formed with a fork straddling valve stem l9 and a bend 34 which is seated on lug 35 projecting from body casting 9 and which lug has a projection 36 which enters a slot in the bent part 34 of lever 22, the projection 36 being of sufficient length to project beyond the slot and prevent lifting of lever 22 from its pivot 35 after being adjusted in position.

In assembling these parts, lever 22 is placed onits pivot 35 in the tilted position so that projection 36 will enter the slot and when the lever is moved upward to the position of Figure 2, collar 24 is placed over the forked end of the lever and pinned to stem l9. In this position the bend 34 bears against the side of lug 35 preventing lateral displacement and projection 36 projecting beyond the slot in the bend prevents lifting the lever from its fulcrum.

What I claim is:

1. In a container for liquids, the combination of a discharge port and closure therefor arranged to remain closed during the filling of the container, 2; filling port having a tube projecting into the container to a predetermined line of fill whereby in filling the container a liquid seal is made at the inner end of said tube to trap the air above such line and thereby prevent overfilling, a closure for said port, and a small vent hole in said tube insufiicient to prevent air compression above the line of fill but permitting balancing of air pressure in the container above the line of fill and in said tube after closure of said port.

2. In containers for liquids, a discharge port comprising a valve casing open at its inner end and its outer end formed with an interior axial projection bored to form a guide for a valve stem, a discharge spout projecting from said casing, a screw-threaded ring in the inner open end of said casing having a valve seat, a valve having a stem projecting through the aforesaid bore, a coiled spring sleeved on said axial projection bearing upon said valve, and a lever pivoted on said casing engaging the outer end of said stem for opening the valve.

3. In containers for liquids, a discharge port seated on the top of said container, comprising a valve casing and a discharge spout, a valve seat and valve in said casing, a valve stem projecting axially through the upper end of said casing, and a lever mounted on said casing for opening said valve, in combination with a breather valve mounted adjacent said discharge port, comprising a valve body opening into the container, a bonnet on said body provided with vent holes, valve seat and stem guide, a valve stem projecting through the bonnet, a coiled spring on said stem seated between said valve and valve body for holding said valve to its seat, said valve stem projecting through said bonnet in alignment with the aforesaid lever whereby during the movement of said lever to open the discharge port the breather valve is opened manually by said lever.

v4. In containersfor liquids, a combined pres-,.

sure relief and" discharge and breather valve comprising a casing and discharge spout, a valve seat, a discharge valve opening outward auto matically for pressure relief and manually for liquid discharge and having a stem projecting axially through the upper end of said casing, a

breather valve opening inward, a valve stem for the breather valve in alignment with the dis charge valve stem, and asingle operating lever mounted on said casing for engaging both said valve stems.

5. In a container for liquids, a combined discharge and breather valve, comprising two valve casings and discharge spout joined in a single structure, a discharge valve seat in one part of said casing, a discharge valve having a stem projecting axially through the upper part of said casing, a breather valve casing having its axis at an angleto the axis of the discharge valve casing, a breather valve opening inward against spring pressure and having a stem projecting axially through the top of said casing, and a single operating lever pivoted on the discharge valve casing, one end of said lever being operatively connected with the discharge valve stem for direct opening of said valve, and the other end being in alignment with the breather valve stem for delayed engagement therewith.

6. In a container for liquids, the combination with the container body having a predetermined line of fill to provide a definite air space, a discharge port, a pressure relief valve opening outward automatically with the internal air or gas pressure and normally held'closedby a" spring, a filling port and closure therefor, a

the container to the predetermined line of fill to provide a liquid seal at such line and cause air compress-ion in said space, thereby preventing filling above said line and providing expansion space and allow excessive pressure to open said relief valve without discharge of liquid from the container, and operating means for opening the discharge port at will without rush of liquid therefrom due to internal pressure.

7. In a container for liquids, the combination with the container body, of a filling port and closure therefor, a tubular extension projecting from said port into the container to a predetermined line of fill, whereby in filling the container a liquid seal is made at the inner end of the tube causing air compression above said line and thereby preventing filling above said lineand providing an expansion space, and a vent for balancing the pressure within said space and tube.

8. In a container for liquids, the combination with a container body having a dome top, of a filling port on said toprand a closure therefor, a tubular extension projecting from said port into the container to a predetermined line of fill at the base line of the dome, whereby in filling the container a liquid seal is made at the inner end of the tube causing air compression within the dome and thereby preventing filling above said' line and providing an expansion space within the dome, and a vent for balancing the pressure within said space and tube.

9. In a container for liquids, the combination with the container body, of a discharge port, a closure for said port arranged to remain closed during the filling operation, a filling port and closure therefor. a tubular extension projecting from said filling port into the container toa predetermined line of fill, whereby in filling the container a liquid seal is made at the inner end of the tube causing air compression above said line and thereby preventing filling above said line and providing an expansion space, and a vent for balancing the pressure within said space and tube. i

10. In a portable oil can. the combination with the can body, of a discharge spout and valve therefor opening outward with the pressure and normally held closed by a spring, a filling port and closure therefor, a tubular extension projecting from said port into the can to a predetermined line of fill, whereby in filling the can a liquid seal is made at the inner end of the tube causing air compression in the space above said line and thereby effecting an expansion space, a vent for balancing the pressure Within said space and tube, and said expansion space upon increase of pressure therein causing said discharge valve to open to relieve the pressure without causing discharge of oil therefrom.

11. In a portable oil can. the combination with the can body, of a discharge valve and spout mounted at the top of the can near its rim, a breather valve mounted adjacent the discharge valve, said breather valve being arranged to seat with the internal air or gas pressure and having a spring for normally closing same, an air inlet port above the breather valve, a chamber below said valve. an air tube extending from said chamber to the opposite side of the can close to the top, and means for manually open ing the breather valve against the spring and internal air or gas pressure.

12. In a portable oil can. the combination with the can body, of a discharge valve and spout mounted at the top of the can near its rim, a

gamma breather valve' mounted adjacent the discharge valve, said breather valve being arranged to seat with the internal air or gas pressure and having a spring for normally closing same, an air inlet port above the breather valve, a chamber below said valve. an air tube extending from said chamber to the opposite side of the can close to the top, and a single manually operated means arranged to open the discharge valve to relieve the internal air or gas pressure, then to fully open said valve for discharge of liquid and finally to open the breather valve.

13. In a portable oil can, the combination with the can body, of a combined discharge and pressure relief valve having a discharge spout and mounted at the top of the can near its rim, a breather valve mounted adjacent the discharge valve arranged to seat with the internal air or gas pressure and having a spring for normally closing same, an air inlet-port above the breather valve, a ch'amb-erbelow said valve, an air tube extending from said chamber tothe opposite side of the can close to the top, and a centrally pivoted lever for opening said discharge valve with the internal pressure and the breathervalve in the opposite direction against the internal pressure.

14. In a portable oil can, the combination with a can body having a predetermined line of fill to provide a definite air space at the top of the can, a discharge port, a valve for said port serving also as an automatic pressure relief valve, a breather valve having a spring for normally closing same and held to its seat by the internal air or gas pressure, a tube leading from the breather valve to said air space close to the top of the can, and means for manually operating said valves.

FRANK R. GEYSER. 

